Average Salaries in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
Explore salaries across 682 occupations in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $81.7K, +24.3% vs the national average. See the highest-paying roles, where the jobs are, and how local wages compare to the rest of the country.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates. Coverage: 682 occupations and 1,513,090 total jobs in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
How the metro compares
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA is one of the higher-paying metros in the country. Average wages here run meaningfully above the national level, though local cost of living often offsets some of that premium.
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA has a large metro labor market with broad occupational coverage.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Cardiologists. Drill into any occupation below to see its local pay distribution, employment, and how it compares to the national market.
Top-paying and largest occupations in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
Two different lenses on the local labor market: which occupations pay the most, and which employ the most workers. The highest-paid list tends to favor specialized professional and technical roles. The largest list reflects where the everyday jobs actually are.
Highest-paid occupations in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Cardiologists | $493.7K | N/A |
| Psychiatrists | $335.6K | 310 |
| Physicians, Pathologists | $333.3K | 90 |
| Physicians, All Other | $323.1K | 4,200 |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, And Flight Engineers | $322K | 340 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $295.5K | 1,360 |
| Obstetricians And Gynecologists | $293.4K | 100 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $282.2K | N/A |
| Pediatricians, General | $262.7K | 630 |
| Chief Executives | $238.4K | 2,710 |
Largest occupations in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 57,080 | $35.3K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 42,550 | $42.2K |
| Retail Salespersons | 34,390 | $37.8K |
| Cashiers | 30,420 | $37K |
| Registered Nurses | 28,680 | $139.5K |
| Office Clerks, General | 28,470 | $49.9K |
| General And Operations Managers | 26,230 | $119.6K |
| Waiters And Waitresses | 24,050 | $35.9K |
| Laborers And Freight, Stock, And Material Movers, Hand | 21,950 | $43.3K |
| Janitors And Cleaners, Except Maids And Housekeeping Cleaners | 21,700 | $38.5K |
What San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA specializes in
The location quotient measures how concentrated an occupation is here compared to the national average. A value above 1.00 means the occupation is more common in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Marriage And Family Therapists | 8.10 | $49.6K |
| Computer And Information Research Scientists | 4.56 | $121.5K |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | 4.39 | $174.4K |
| Layout Workers, Metal And Plastic | 4.26 | $74.5K |
| Communications Equipment Operators, All Other | 4.24 | N/A |
| Material Moving Workers, All Other | 4.05 | $36.6K |
| Food Preparation And Serving Related Workers, All Other | 3.99 | $36.3K |
| Drywall And Ceiling Tile Installers | 3.91 | $76.3K |
| Acupuncturists | 3.82 | $64.5K |
| Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | 3.60 | $156.5K |
Comparable metros
| Metro | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $98.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $95.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $92.6K | Cardiologists |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $87.1K | Cardiologists |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $83.8K | Radiologists |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $82.7K | Radiologists |
| Boulder, CO | $82.3K | Surgeons, All Other |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $82.3K | Radiologists |
Common salary questions for San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
What does "average median" mean? +
It is the average of all occupation-level medians in this area. It gives a rough sense of the overall wage level here compared to other states or metros, but it is not the same as a household income figure or a single blended salary.
What is a location quotient? +
A location quotient (LQ) compares how concentrated an occupation is in this area versus the national average. An LQ of 2.0 means the occupation is twice as concentrated here as it is nationally. High-LQ occupations are what this area specializes in.
How are comparable areas selected? +
Peer areas are other metros with a similar overall wage level and employment size. They give you a quick sense of how this area ranks among places with a comparable labor market.